David Jones, artist and poet (1895-1974) begins his PREFACE TO THE ANATHEMATA :

'I have made a heap of all that I could find.' (1) So wrote Nennius, or whoever composed the introductory matter to Historia Brittonum. He speaks of an 'inward wound' which was caused by the fear that certain things dear to him 'should be like smoke dissipated'. Further, he says, 'not trusting my own learning, which is none at all, but partly from writings and monuments of the ancient inhabitants of Britain, partly from the annals of the Romans and the chronicles of the sacred fathers, Isidore, Hieronymous, Prosper, Eusebius and from the histories of the Scots and Saxons although our enemies . . . I have lispingly put together this . . . about past transactions, that [this material] might not be trodden under foot'. (2)

(1) The actual words are coacervavi omne quod inveni, and occur in Prologue 2 to the Historia.(2) Quoted from the translation of Prologue 1. See The Works of Gildas and Nennius, J.A.Giles, London 1841.

26 September 2010

Last week we reported on the two Japanese monks wearing Collingwood and Geelong patches, walking in meditation towards the MCG Cats v Magpies Preliminary Final.

Then we showed a country town projection-space decorated with the red and blue of the Hepburn Burras.

Yesterday we recorded that 100,016 middle-way practitioners attended the 2010 AFL Official Grand Final Draw (Collingw0od 68 - St.Kilda 68) at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

The capacity of the MCG is 100,018. So it's not surprising there has been much media speculation about those two unfilled seats.

This blog is now free to reveal that two empty seats was a work of art by two visiting French artists. They acquired two finals tickets for adjoining seats, for the purpose not to attend. Known as Missing Persons Bureau, the pair are associated with the better known French company TAR [Théâtre des Acteurs du Regard].

Because this blog has long championed the work of TAR, we were among the select few journalists invited to document the other action of two empty seats. No Photos Please was the only restriction; drawings and word pictures were encouraged.

From sunrise until sunset on AFL Grand Final Day in Melbourne, at an outer-suburban public projection-space, French art duo Missing Persons Bureau presented the tableau vivant pictured below : support act.

10 September 2010

For the last few weeks anyone interested in Australian federal politics has been following the journeys of The Three Independents (aka The Three Amigos, The Three Wise Men, The Three Wise Monkeys and so on).

It's a relative political term, The Independents. Relative within a view of inter-dependence.

06 September 2010

Last night on TV, in a doorstop interview with one of the three Independents whose support for either Labor or the Liberal-National coalition will determine the next government of Australia, Tony Windsor was asked if his elderly mother had given him any advice on the weekend. She had, he said, and smiled : "Mum's the word."

Theatre of the Actors of LookingpresentsShhhhhhh! The Decisions of the Three Independents

03 September 2010

That's the headline spread across the top of THE AGE today as the fun and games, and the stumbles and gains, continue between the Independents and their suitors. Read about this twist of fortune here

"JULIA Gillard is just two seats away from being able to form a government after Tasmanian independent MP Andrew Wilkie rejected a $1 billion offer from Tony Abbott for a new hospital in Hobart and agreed to throw his support behind Labor.

Mr Wilkie accepted Ms Gillard's more modest pitch of up to $340 million to upgrade the existing hospital, saying this was a ''much more ethical way to go than simply grabbing a billion for Tasmania''.

The Hobart-based MP, in a strident rejection of Mr Abbott's hospital lure, said:''It was almost intoxicating to look at a piece of paper that offered me one billion dollars."